


Miserable as a Bandicoot

by Veldeia



Series: Captain America/Iron Man Bingo 2016 [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Australia, Alternate Universe - Mining, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cave-In, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 12:31:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7640164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veldeia/pseuds/Veldeia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark, mining engineer, is not having a good time, stuck under a boulder, with only his ex-lover, mining captain Steve Rogers for company.</p><p>Part 2 of the AU Au au, fill for the bingo prompt "injury/illness"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Miserable as a Bandicoot

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: this series of three ficlets is based on a setting that's a silly pun (AU Au au - Australian gold mine alternate universe), written rather hurriedly as last-minute bingo fills!
> 
> Beta thanks to [Muccamukk](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Muccamukk/pseuds/Muccamukk), who saved the fic from lazily written first aid. :)

**bandicoot: miserable as a bandicoot ******

> _Extremely unhappy. Bandicoots are small marsupials with long faces, and have been given a role in Australian English in similes that suggest unhappiness or some kind of deprivation. The expression miserable as a bandicoot was first recorded in the 1820s._  
>    
>  -[Australian National Dictionary Centre](http://andc.anu.edu.au/australian-words/meanings-origins?field_alphabet_value=71)  
> 

  


* * *

  


"It might have to wait a bit, though," Tony said, trying to move nothing but his mouth as he spoke, to keep the stabbing pain at bay. "For a small to medium miracle. Who's the patron saint of miners, again?"

Tony Stark, PhD (Mining & Minerals Engineering), was not a religious man. He didn't believe in gods, or karma, or fate. With the situation he was currently in, he was starting to reconsider that position, because it would take a force greater than engineering to fix it. He could easily design elegant ways to shift tons and tons of rock to extract the valuable minerals from them, but he couldn't extract himself from this predicament. Sure, moving the rock that hadn't quite managed to flatten him to death would be easy enough, but that wouldn't help much with the hole in his side.

"Saint Barbara," Steve replied right away, because this was the sort of thing Steve would know—he did believe in higher powers. One of their many differences. Too many, one could claim, seeing as how their relationship had gone up in flames.

Steve's fingers closed around Tony's wrist, his other hand going to Tony's face, to brush a gentle thumb over Tony's chin, reminding Tony of happier times. Alas, this wasn't fun and games. Steve raised the hand in front of Tony's face, showing the droplet of blood he'd wiped off it.

"Tony. You said you didn't think you were badly hurt." Steve's voice was stern, his face grave.

"Considering my position, I'd argue that's not entirely wrong," Tony said defensively. By all accounts, he should be dead, and technically, he didn't know how bad it was.

"Will you at least tell me what it is?" Steve asked. Tony was surprised that he sounded so offended. It wasn't as if Steve actually cared about him anymore. He'd made that abundantly clear, back when they'd split up.

"I would if I could," Tony said. "I can tell you it's sharp, and it's buried in my left side."

He couldn't see the damage, and neither could Steve, because it was beneath the boulder, but Tony could feel that something—most likely a support bar or a piece of machinery—had pierced his side, and he could tell it wasn't good.

"Jesus, Tony!" Steve's eyes went wide, their blue very bright against the dust coating his face. "Why didn't you say that right away?"

"Can't see what difference it would've made. I'd still be stuck."

"We could've tried to move that slab," Steve suggested.

"I thought health and safety made sure you took first aid classes," Tony quipped. "Whatever it is, it's bleeding less because there's a massive rock on top of it. Leave my rock alone."

"You're right, of course, you're right. God." Steve put a hand to the back of his neck, looking frustrated. "You could be bleeding internally."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am," Tony said. "The prognosis isn't great."

He was quite surprised himself at how little this bothered him. He'd probably die here, under this boulder. That was a fact.

People would already be working on rescuing them, but it'd take time. The safety of everyone working on the rescue would have to come first. They'd have to make sure everything was stable, every step of the way. They didn't even know that Steve and Tony were still alive. Luckily for them, Steve certainly would be, when the rescuers arrived, so their efforts wouldn't have been in vain. Tony was pretty sure by that time he'd be long gone. It felt like breathing was getting steadily more difficult with every minute that passed, and like maybe coughing would help, though he knew it would only make things much, much worse.

Steve's face seemed to have paled beyond its usual fair hue beneath the grime. He released the hold he'd had of the pulse point at Tony's wrist to give Tony's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not going to let you die," he said, as if he could do something to stop that. "You just hang in there, Tony. They'll get us out."

What do you know, it really did suspiciously seem like Steve cared. That was nice.

Tony definitely cared. Had their roles had been reversed, he would've been out of his wits with worry. He'd never stopped thinking about Steve. He'd tried to move on, and he'd even thought he'd succeeded. Not actually seeing Steve, or even knowing where in the world he was, had definitely helped. Of course, the moment he'd seen Steve again, in an Aussie mine, of all places, had brought everything rushing back.

Yeah, he wasn't over Steve. Maybe he never would be.

Maybe that was why it felt all right. He didn't need to get over Steve. He'd die under this goddamn rock, but hey, Steve was by his side. There were worse ways to go.


End file.
